Commanded to Posses the Land

Israel was to be a city on a hill to spread the light and knowledge of the Lord and principles of virtue, temperance, and godliness to surrounding peoples and nations.

If Israel were to forsake the Lord, then they would be left defenseless before their enemies like a sheep among a pack of wolves.

Israel is unwise if it thinks it can out-wolf the wolves.  Its only protection is in the Lord and to keep the spiritual fires burning and eventually domesticate some of the pack. Israel should beware never to leave the safety of the campfire.

Just like the Jews have been comanded to posses the land of Israel, the covenant people of God have been commanded to possess the Earth.  unfortunately, since the Fall, Satan has rules over the Earth with fear, pain and suffering.  When it comes to the Last Days and the the tribulation that will come, I hear many say, "if it is gonna get that bad, I'd rather die along with everyone else."  However, I think God intents His people to survive and finally possess the Earth and build the perfect society.  

The meek and the righteous are commanded to inherit the Earth. The disembodied spirits even in spirit paradise are still in a prison away from their bodies. Our purpose and destiny as eternal beings is not to dwell in a spirit world but to stand triumphant upon the celestial Earth.

And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. (Old Testament, Numbers, Numbers 33:53)

Law of the Harvest

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:7–9).

The Atonement of Christ is not about planting thorns and thistles and getting tomatoes and cucumbers.  The gospel of Christ is about rooting out the weeds in the soil of our lives and teaching us how to plant and cultivate the good kinds of fruit of gospel living.

When it comes to living our religion, we are not to be "Cafeteria Mormons" where we pick and choose only that which pleases us.  Instead as Elder Maxwell says when it comes to the words of modern prophets, "we are to take even the spiritual spinach and leave a clean plate."

Creation Comparison: Genesis, Moses, Abraham, and LDS Perspective

Here is a comparison chart of the Creation Periods as explained in Genesis, Moses, Abraham, and from the LDS Perspective. 

http://www.daronfraley.net/wp-content/u ... arison.png

The LDS Perspective makes a lot of sense to my mind in 3 areas: 1. Grass grows only after day and night divided and sun, moon, and stars appear. 

2. Separation of Light and Darkness/Day and Night emphasized over the creation of light and dark. Light and Dark, like the materials used to form the Earth ,are eternal and have always existed. 

3. Creation of man different day than creation of animals. It is also significant that the creation of man is the only part of creation in which the Father personally participates by saying "Let us make man in our image". Putting the creation of man on its own day separate from the animals serves to further emphasize the divine origin of man.